Maximum-traction truck.



No. 639,36I. Patented Dec. I9, |899. S. CLARKSON.

MAXIMUM TRACTIUN TRUCK.

(Application led Sept. 22, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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iTn STATES PATENT Tric@ SAMUEL E. CLARKSON, OF J OHNSTOV N, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE LORAIN STEEL COMPANY, OF PENNSYLVANIA.

MAXIMUM-TRACTION TRUCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 639,361, dated December 19 1899.

Application filed September 22,1899. Serial No. 731,293. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL E. CLARKsoN, of Johnstown, in the county of Cambria and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Maximum-Traction Trucks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

.ro My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in car-trucks, and more particularly to trucks of that class commonly kpown as maximum-traction trucks.

The object of my invention is to provide means of improved character for preventing the smaller or pilot wheels of the truck from climbing the rails and jumping the track in rounding curves by reason of the fact that they are largely relieved of the weight of the zo load and also by :reason of their very considerable radial movement underneath the car-body. I accomplish this object by means of a spring seated on the truck-frame adjacent to the smaller orpilot wheels of the truck, together with means of novel character for effecting a compression of said spring by the action of the truck in swinging or radiating underneath the car-body in rounding a curve, thereby temporarily shifting a portion of the 3o load upon the said Wheels.

The invention also provides means for ad- Y justing the said spring to regulate, as may be desired, the increase in load on these wheels. It also provides means whereby, if desired, said spring may be put under any desired degree of initial compression under ordinary running conditions, whereby the smaller wheels may be made to take any desired proportion of the weight ot' the load at all times. 4o While this result is obtained at the expense of decrease of load on the larger or driving wheels, it has its compensating advantages in that by a slight increase of load on the small wheels they are held steadily to the track and also in that the said spring tends to maintain the parallelism of the car-truck and car-body. The invention also consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, all as hereinafter described, and pointed out in the 5o appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

Figure l is a plan view of a portion of a carbody, showing the car-truck and the application of my invention in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is an end view showing the invention applied, and Fig. 3 is a similar View showing a modiiication.

The letter A designates the larger or driving wheels of a maximum-traction truck, and B the smaller or pilot wheels. 6o

C is the truck-frame, which is provided with a cross-bar C adjacent to the wheels B.

D is a semi-elliptic or curved bar-spring which vis centrally supported and secured to the said cross-bar C', its upwardly and later 65 ally extended end portions carrying bearing blocks E, in which are journ aled an tifrictionrollers El. y

F designate double inclined planes or cams, which are secured to the under side of the 7o car-body over the rollers E'. These planes are curved to conform to the radius of movement ofV the said rollers as the truck swings or radiates under the car-body, and their central or highest portions are directly over the rollers when the truck is in normal position under the car.

It will be readily seen that as the truck swings or radiates under the car in either direction in passing a curve the rollers will 8o move onto lower portions of the inclined planes or cams, thereby putting the spring under compression to a degree directly proportioned to the curve of the truck and tem .porarily shifting in a proportional degree the weight of the load to the smaller wheels.

For the purpose ot' adjusting the inclination of the planes or cams they may be hinged at the center, as indicated at h, their end portions being held by bolts and nuts 7i against 9o removable fillers or shims h2, placed between them and the bottom of the car.

In order to put the spring under a normal or initial compression, and thereby shift a desired proportion of the load to the small wheels at all times, oppositely-driven wedges K may be inserted between the cross-bar C and the central portion of the spring. Both adjustments may be employed, as shown in Fig. 2, or that last described may be omitted roo and the single adjustment used, as shown in Fig. 3.

I do not wish to limit myself to the details herein shown and described, as these may be Varied and changed Without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with a car-body and a car-truck of the character described, of a spring seated on the truck adjacent to one pair of truck-Wheels and means on the carbody for engagement with both ends of said spring, whereby the latter is putu nder tension by radial swinging movement of the truck.

2. The combination with a car-body and a car-truck, of 'a spring seated on the truck frame adjacent to one of its axles, and inclincd planes or cams on the under side of thev car-body and engaging both ends of the said spring.

3. The combination with a car-body and a car-truck, ofV a semi-elliptic or bar-spring seated on the truck-frame adjacent to one of the truck-axles, and double inclined planes or cams on the under side of the car-body for engagement with the ends of said spring. y 4. In acar-truck of the characterdescribed, means for preventing the smaller or pilot wheels from leaving the track, consisting of a curved spring seated upon the car-truck adjacent to the said Wheels, and means on the car-body whereby both ends of said spring are engaged and depressed by radial move- -ment of the truck in either direction.

5. The combination With a truck-frame and a car-truck, of a curved spring seated on said truck adjacent to one of its axles, rollers on 4the end portions of the springs and inclined planes or cams on the under side of the carbody engaging the said rollers, said planes or cams being curved to conform to the radius of movement of said rollers.

G. The combination With a car-body and a car-truck, of a spring seated on said truck ad jacent to one of its axles, double inclined planes on the under side of the car-body engaging the end portions of the said springs, said planes being hinged at the center and means whereby said planes may be secured in dierent adjustments.

7. The combination with a car-body and a car-truck, of a spring seated on said truck adjacent to one of its axles, inclined planes or cams on the car-body which engage the end portions of the said spring, and means underneath the central portion of said spring for adjusting the initial compression thereof.

S. The combination with a car-body and a car-truck, of a spring seated on said truck adjacent to one of its axles, inclined planes or cams on the under side of the vehicle-body which engage the end portions of the said spring, means for adjusting the inclination of the said planes or cams, and means foradjnsting the initial compression of the said spring.

9. In a device for the purpose described, the combination of the spring, the oppositelydriven wedges which seat said spring on the truck-frame, and cam devices on the under side of the car which engage the end portions of the said springs.

l0. In a device for the purpose described, the combination of the spring seated on the truck-frame, of cam devices on the under side of the car-body for engagement With the upwardly-extending end portions of the said spring, and means for adjusting the said cam devices tovary their action on the said spring.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

SAMUEL E. CLARKSON.

Witnesses:

MYRTLE E. SHARPE, H. W. SMITH. 

